More than 400 fishermen took to the waters around the Cayman Islands last weekend in the hope of netting a big catch — of the financial as well as the fishy variety.
The annual BK Big Fish tournament is one of the biggest events in the Cayman angling calendar and this year was no exception, with 78 boats taking part, lured by the big prizes up for grabs.
A whopping $100,000 was on offer for any all-time, record-breaking fish and $85,000 in prizes was also available for category winners for wahoo, tuna, barracuda and blue marlin catch-and-release.
The three-day event was held across all the islands, with weigh-ins taking place every afternoon at George Town Yacht Club in Grand Cayman and Captain’s Table in Cayman Brac.
Cayman’s fishing heritage
Mark Anthony, of event sponsor Burger King, told the Compass that the goal was to create an event which celebrated Cayman’s fishing heritage.
“It’s a community event. It’s very sociable,” he said. “We keep the entry fee low so that it’s accessible to as many people as possible. People can go fishing with their children and compete against professional anglers, which is part of the appeal of the event, and we put up absolutely a boatload of money. People love it.”
Local restaurants did well out of the arrival of the freshly caught fish, as well as BBQs and household freezers. Onlookers watched on Sunday afternoon as one of the biggest catches of the day, Wot-Less’s 44.2-pound wahoo, was gutted on the dockside and then speedily transferred into George Town Yacht Club kitchen, netting the crew a tasty $420.
The Compass caught up with crew member Connan Hill as he celebrated the day’s achievements with a beer in the sunshine.
Asked the secret of his fishing success, he said, “Persistence.”
Results of BK Big Fish 2025
Wahoo
1st Aidy Moore (Imagine That) 45.6 lbs
2nd Connan Hill (Wot-Less) 44.2 lbs
3rd Cassandra MacDowell (El Jeffe) 40.8 lbs
Tuna
1st Julius Hubble (Soul Rebel) 69.1 lbs
2nd Arthlee Evans (SS Craby) 51.8 lbs
3rd Harry Kinch (Double Header) 51.0 lbs
Barracuda
1st Adroy Ebanks (Morning Spirit) 17.6 lbs
2nd Jack Moore (Imagine That) 18.4 lbs
3rd Michael Tibbets (Knot Nice) 17.4 lbs
Blue Marlin releases winner – Naut Wukin (boat)
Men’s Angler winner – Julius Hubble
Women’s Angler winner – Cassandra MacDowell
Kid’s Angler winner – Jaiylon Bodden
Heaviest Eligible Fish winner – Julius Hubble
